Connecticut western news., 1887-04-06
NESTS OF BIRDS.
Great Mechanical Skill Exhib-
 tied in Building Them.
A Chapter On One of the Most Attractive
 Branches of Natural Science.

The study of birds nests forms one of the most attractive branches of natural science. Not only does it show the manner in which our binds live, but to Q great extent the character of the birds themselves. It would hardly be sup posed that by examining birds nest in the hand much could be told concerning the builder; yet let any one acquainted with bird life be given nest, and al- though he may never have seen it before, lie can tell With considerable accuracy the general habits, manners and customs of the owner and many other little points that one would not suppose possible from so ordinary an object.
 Take for example tho humming birds nest. One would know at glance that its owner was shy and retiring, prefer ring concealment rather than publicity. No other. bird buildsso dainty and deli- cate structure as this. It is composed of the softest of vegetable down, held together by countless wrappers of cob webs and saddled on the branch near the extremity. This much having been accomplished, the ingenuity of the architect is next taxed to guard against discovery, which is done by coveriag the entire outside with coating of lie hens gathered from some dead branch or from the nearest fence, and also held in place by cobwebs. The whole so nearly re- sembles knot that unless betrayed by the birds, one may search tree carefully for hours without finding it. As will be seen by glance at the sectional view of one of the nests, great precaution is taken to prevent the eggs from being shaken out by the wind. On the inside projects rim for quarter of an inch, thus avoiding all ordinary danger. The measurements of the nest delineated are: Total diameter, one and quarter inches; inside diameter, three quarters of an inch; total height, one inch; 1 depth of nest, onc-half inch.
 In marked contrast to the nests of the hummers is that of the wood thrush; what careless, happy go-lucky sort of Q fellow he must be to throw together such combination of roots and dead leaves, and how careless as to its position for the safety of the young! One finds them in the fork formed by two tender sap ings crossing each other, where mod crate gale would separate them and bring disaster and sorrow to Q happy home, and then again on the top of fallen tree trunk, where nothing could harm them
 One of the handsoncst nests is built by the yellow throated vireo, which in one respect resembles those of the hum- mers, being covered on the outside with lichens and dark colored vegetable down to conceal it. It is pendant from the crotch of some branch to which it is at- tached by countless turns of thread, cob- webs and long grasses, and SO nearly does it resemble the general color of tho branch that it is next to impossible to find it.
 An entirely different class of birds are the ground builders, which include the game birds, larks, buntings and many of the sparrows. One would be surprised to sec the many variations resorted to in their nest construction. Many species very closely related build their nests so unlike that one would suppose their owners to be of different families, while others build so near alike and deposit eggs so similar that unless the birds arc seen and recognized the eggs will in al- most every case be doubtful indentity- as for instance the song sparrow and swamp song sparrow, whose nests and eggs placed side by side would be in- distinguishable to an expert, while those of the bay winged and Savannah bunt- ings are widely different. The former is composed of fine grass neatly woven together and lined with hair, and the latter of short pieces of grass, perhaps an inch and half long, laid on top of each other in a hollow in the ground. The nests of the woodcock and ruff ed grouse furnish examples of two widely different birds building similarly; both are composed entirely of matted, dead leaves, and differ only in size. The former bird places its nest almost any where in the bushes, while the grouse invariably builds un CT some log, stump or similar places. Both are so frail that in many cases removal is attende with more or less loss to its bulk, while in others it cannot be accomplished.
 The woodpeckcrs belong to class of birds building entirely different from any preceding, which are known as the woodchoppers. Dead or partly decaycd trees are generally selected, in which the birds can easily dig, the depth of the excavation varying with the species and sometimes with the inclination of the builder, although those of each specie as a rule are uniform. All, however, follow a general fixed law--namcly, all exca- vate obliquely for short distance, then turn directly downward, gradually wid- ening toward the bottom. Here on the fine chips of wood, with no attempt at a nest, the eggs arc deposited. With many the entrances arc as circular as though described with pair of con- passes, while in others very little pains are taken, this latter probably owing to the approach of the time for the depos- .iting of the first egg. Another plea for the study of nests IS that in many cases